More than 1.6 million people are estimated to be diagnosed with cancer in 2012. For example, the most common type of cancer in women is breast cancer, and this disease is responsible for one of the highest fatality rates of all cancers affecting females. The current treatment of breast cancer is limited to total, or partial, mastectomy, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. Almost 230,000 of cancer cases in 2012 will be breast cancer, which will result in an estimated 40,000 deaths. See, Siegel et al., Ca Cancer J Clin 2012; 62:10-29.
A number of cancer deaths are caused by blood cancers including leukaemias, myelomas, and lymphomas. In 2012, almost 80,000 of cancer cases will be lymphomas, which will result in an estimated 20,000 deaths.
Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery are the primary methods of cancer treatment. However, these therapies are most successful only when the cancer is detected at an early stage. Once cancer reaches invasive/metastatic stages, lines of invading cells or metastasizing cells can escape detection, thus resulting in relapses, which requires the use of therapy that is highly toxic. At this point, both the cancer cells and the patient's unaffected cells are exposed to the toxic therapy, resulting, among other complications, a weakening of the immune system.
As such, there remains a need in the art for new methods for treating cancer, such as breast cancer or lymphomas, in a patient.